Mbamba gunning for WBC belt

By Ron Jackson

South Africa’s Evans Mbamba faces the toughest fight of his career when he challenges the vastly more experienced Tomas Rojas of Mexico for the WBC interim super flyweight title in an all southpaw clash at the World Trade Centre in Veracruz, Mexico on Saturday night. Even though the 28-year-old Mbamba has been a professional for six years and remained unbeaten he has only had 16 fights with 8 wins inside the distance. He has not fought at the same the level as the battle-hardened Rojas (31-11-1, 22 KOs) who made his professional debut in December 1996.

Rojas, 29, will also have the advantage of fighting in his hometown of Veracruz. Despite eleven losses on his record only one of those has been inside the distance and that was against Jorge Arce in September 2007. He has also been in with top rated fighters like Rosendo Alvarez, Cristian Mijares, Gerry Penalosa and Anselmo Moreno.

When WBC champion Vic Darchinyan was unable to defend his belt due to injuries sustained in his most recent fight the WBC ordered that Rojas and Everado Morales meet for the interim title. Morales was stopped in the ninth round.

In November 2006 Mbamba who is ranked at number one in the most recent WBC ratings scored a split decision victory over the veteran Zolani Mbityi to win the vacant WBC International super flyweight title and then made successful defences against Pedro Cardenas and Unathi Gqokoma before scoring a seventh round knockout over the highly regarded Devid Lookmahanak in December 2008.

The winner of the fight between Rojas and Mbamba will meet the champion Vic Darchinyan in California on December 12.

Meanwhile it has been reported that former WBF flyweight champion Zolani Tete has left Nick Durandt to join the BK Sports stable of Butityi Konki.

Tete is scheduled to meet Tanzanian Juma Fundi on a Branco Sports Productions bill on November 20 at the Wembley Indoor Arena in Johannesburg.